Aston Villa recall Leon Goretzka as midfielder steps up injury recovery

Leon Goretzka has been recalled to Aston Villa to continue his rehabilitation, forcing the midfielder to miss an important German Olympic Sports Confederation meeting on Saturday.

The 31-year-old joined Villa on a free transfer in August after eight years at Bayern Munich but is still waiting to make his debut for Unai Emery's side because of a knee problem.

Goretzka had been spending part of the international break back in Munich, including a visit to Oktoberfest, but Villa now want him back at the club to focus fully on his recovery.

According to Welt, Goretzka had been eligible to attend Saturday's DOSB meeting as a personal member.

The meeting will include a vote connected to Germany's bid to host a future Olympic Games, and Goretzka had previously indicated he wanted to assess the competing proposals before making his decision.

However, those plans have changed after Villa instructed him to return for rehabilitation work.

That decision comes with Goretzka yet to play competitive football for his new club following his August 27 arrival.

The midfielder missed pre-season and has subsequently been dealing with knee irritation, with previous reports indicating he would not be ready to return until after the international break.

Villa's cautious approach is understandable given Goretzka's lack of preparation before arriving in England.

Sports science specialist Markus Schauer previously explained that missing an entire pre-season does not necessarily leave a player without basic fitness, but can affect their tolerance for repeated high-intensity actions.

That becomes particularly relevant for a midfielder adapting to Premier League football after spending his entire senior career in Germany.

Villa therefore appear determined not to rush Goretzka simply to get their new signing onto the pitch.

Emery will instead hope the rehabilitation programme allows the former Bayern midfielder to build the physical base required to contribute consistently once he is cleared to make his long-awaited debut.

Goretzka will return to Villa and continue working towards full fitness during the remainder of the international break.

There remains no confirmed date for his debut, but Villa will hope the additional rehabilitation work puts him in position to finally become available to Emery after the break.